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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

How to be a Workaholic without Hurting Yourself in the Workplace

While it is good for our future to work as hard as we can, we should also consider the things at stake. We may aim for that promotion like it is the last piece of bagel in a coffee shop during an afternoon of hunger-strike, but is there anything hanging by a thread? If you’re one of those workaholics (or even the not-so-workaholics) who spends at least eight hours a day hidden inside a cubicle with their eyes stuck on the screen and their fingers running around the keyboards, then you better read this.

Let’s paint a picture, shall we? From morning to lunch break, and after lunch break till afternoon, your eyes are fixed on one screen alone, and you did nothing else but that- except the comfort room calls, of course. If you kept on doing that day after day after day, what do you think is the result of such diligence and dedication to your work?

Workaholic

I’m not saying that you should start being sloppy in your workplace. That’s a NO-NO! You can still be that dedicated to your work without jeopardizing your health. That particular pain –maybe still a tolerable sensation or an already disturbing one- means something: you need to change a few things about how you manage yourself when stuck inside that cubicle. That pain is not there for nothing. Something must be wrong. And if you really want that promotion, you can actually get it without pains as the downside.

Here’s the thing: sitting in almost one position for extensive hours results to poor blood circulation, and with that, you will slowly reap what you sow, but this time around, it might not be a very pleasant experience. You have to stop putting stress in your body and muscles.

And for starters, here are a few very helpful tips:

Let’s start with your chair. One question: is it comfortable enough? Remember, you will be using that very same seat for hours and hours every single day. Therefore, you have to make sure that you are relaxed when you use it. Try looking for chairs that are adjustable. With that, you can easily adjust the height of the seat. A good lumbar support is also very much advised. Make sure that you can rest your back on it without the fear of falling off it. The more support, the lesser the burden you have when sitting down.

For some people, the desk is always the inspiration to work- especially for writers. The desk’s aesthetics will drive their creativity to the maximum. However, for those who almost literally marry their computers because that is what’s required in their work places, you need a different consideration. You need to make sure that the desk’s height is just enough for you. Also, you need to make sure that you can easily move your feet under it. The space should be adequate for you to be able to effortless slide under or out of it should you need to reach out for something.

Another advantage of having the right desk height is that you can have your screen at an eye-level. It won’t be too low; it won’t be too high for your eyes. Therefore, you remain relaxed for the whole time. Also, you won’t have to strain your neck when you continuously lean forward and move your head up and down to take a closer look on something.

You HAVE to Take Breaks!

Well, it may be difficult for others to stop working for a while because once they break their momentum, they never seem to work as diligently as before. However, if your back breaks, you won’t be able to work as diligently as well. And, you have to suffer from very intolerable pains.

You need to stand up and walk around a little bit; and no, your rather short-lived trips to the comfort rooms are not counted. Every once in a while, specifically for a few seconds every hour, you need to get up from that seat and walk around a little bit. You can stretch as well. Work does not have to stop. You can continue thinking while you do your walking to and fro, inhales, exhales, and stretches. This way, you can restore your blood circulation back to normal. Not that difficult, huh?

These are just a few very basic tips to get you going. Easy, right? Once you get the right desk and chair, all you need to remember is to get up every hour for a short break. We all need to stay healthy to enjoy that promotion. Best of luck!